E.E. Cummings An unusual modern poet

e. e. cummings ( ) Poet and Painter Poetry Experimental Typographical non-conformity Break-down of syntax Romantic; apparent cynicism New words Poem Almost nonsense? Narrative emerges Impressionistic style; images Nature: silent spectator, cyclical movement of time Binary structures, repetitions someones, everyones contrasted with anyone, noone

Formlessness as an expressive device Details suggest real people and places, mode of saying suggests a `special’ place Repetition of lines with change in word order suggest movement of time. `sun’ moon, `stars’ and `rain’ assume temporal significance. Lyrical quality

Influenced by Imagism: movement in Eng, U.S, between 1909 – 1917 Ezra Pound, D. H Lawrence Revolt against Romanticism Wrote about diverse themes Precise and Sharp images Influenced by Japanese verse- form, Haiku Cummings said he should have "lived in China where a poet is also a painter."

anyone lived in a pretty how town (with up so floating many bells down) spring summer autumn winter he sang his didn’t he danced his did. Women and men (both little and small) cared for anyone not at all they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same sun moon stars rain children guessed (but only a few and down they forgot as up they grew autumn winter spring summer) that noone loved him more by more when by now and tree by leaf she laughed his joy she cried his grief bird by snow and stir by still anyone’s any was all to her someones married their everyones laughed their cryings and did their dance (sleep wake hoe and then) they said their nevers and they slept their dream stars rain sun moon (and only the snow can begin to explain how children are apt for forget to remember with up so floating many bells down) one day anyone died i guess (and noone stooped to kiss his face) busy folk buried them side by side little by little and was by was all by all and deep by deep and more by more they dream their sleep noone and anyone earth by april wish by spirit and if by yes. Women and men (both dong and ding) summer autumn winter spring reaped their sowing and went their came sun moon stars rain e. e. cummings

Let’s Analyze … “ Anyone” and “Noone” are 2 characters married to one another (Ln 12) “ Noone is understood as the statement that nobody loves “anyone” P AINTS A PICTURE I t’s an anonymous town P eople live routine & unremarkable lives T he Seasons P ass w/ regular predictability “ Anyone” & his wife “noone” do nothing special T hey are unnoticed by the town’s occupants

Let’s Analyze … T herefore It focuses on the e ternal rhythms of life t he seasons of nature T he cycle of human rituals connected to childhood, adulthood & death B y having “anyone” and “Noone” T he poem makes everything universal

Old Age Sticks old age sticks up Keep Off signs)& youth yanks them down(old Age Cries No Tres)&(pas) youth laughs (sing old age scolds Forbid den Stop Must n't Don't &)youth goes right on Gr owing old

Let’s Analyze … Concluding Statement: Makes the Warnings of old age a metaphor of an entirely different sort 1 st two stanzas Prohibitions of old age are met by youthful rebellion Old age = repression Youth = refusal to accept restrictions The central stanza Youth verbally breaks through prohibition by old age The eruption of youth through age suggests the transition from youth to age Hence Even the rebellious youth grows old